The Victory-class corvettes are multi-purpose corvettes based on the MGB 62 design by Germany's Lürssen shipyard for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). The six ships were commissioned between 1990 and 1991 and form the Eighth Flotilla of the RSN.
 RSS Vengeance during CARAT 2006, launching missile
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Victory class |
| Builders | Friedrich Lürssen Werft / ST Engineering (Marine) |
| Operators |  Republic of Singapore Navy |
| Completed | 6 |
| Active | 6 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Corvette |
| Displacement | 595 t (586 long tons; 656 short tons) |
| Length | 62 m (203 ft 5 in) |
| Beam | 8.5 m (27 ft 11 in) |
| Draught | 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed |
|
| Range | 4,000 nmi (7,400 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Complement | 49 with 8 officers |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys | |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 1× Boeing ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) |
| Notes |
|
History
editIn the 1960s and 1970s, the RSN was primarily concerned with coast guard duties. From the late 1970s, however, pressure from senior naval officers led to planning for expanded naval responsibilities and capabilities in a strategic change in Singapore's defence posture, as the Navy sought to redefine its purpose and project power in the region for deterrence.[1][2] Singapore's growing regional trade led to a top-level review of the RSN's mission, with the navy assigned the role of defending Singapore's sea lines of communication (SLOCs). Before the introduction of the MCVs, the RSN's principal strike craft, made up by Sea Wolf-class missile gun boats (MGBs), were equipped to handle surface and air threats, but not underwater submarine threats. The corvettes, equipped with variable-depth sonar and lightweight torpedoes, were the first class of ship in the RSN to have anti-submarine capabilities to counter the threat from the increased number of submarines passing through the Malacca Strait, with Soviet submarines having been tracked passing through entirely submerged.[3][4] As part of a subsequent expansion programme, the RSN ordered a squadron of missile corvettes from Lürssen Werft in 1983.[5] The first, RSS Victory, was built and launched in Germany while the remaining five were built locally by Singapore Shipbuilding & Engineering (now Singapore Technologies (ST) Marine), providing the RSN with the ability to move beyond the seaward defence of Singapore to fulfil a strategic role in the protection of vital SLOCs.
The MCVs have undergone various enhancements to better deal with evolving threats and to tackle technology obsolescence. In 1996, the corvettes were fitted with two sets of 8-cell Barak I launchers, a second fire control radar on the platform aft of the mast and an optronic director on the bridge roof. Rudder roll stabilisation was also retrofitted to improve sea-keeping qualities.[6] In 2009, it was announced that the corvettes would undergo a Life Extension Programme.[7] In 2012, the class was upgraded with a single ScanEagle UAV, RSS Valiant being the first to be so outfitted.[8] However, this upgrade saw the removal of their anti-submarine capabilities, which now reside with the Formidable-class frigates and their organic S-70B Seahawk naval helicopters.[9]
Besides its primary role as the RSN's strike platform, the MCVs have participated in a variety of key exercises and operations during peacetime. RSS Vigour was deployed to the South China Sea in support of search efforts for the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 in 2014, while RSS Valour was similarly involved in the multinational search operations for Air Asia Flight QZ8501 in 2015. RSS Valour was deployed to support security operations for the DPRK-USA Singapore Summit.[10]
In 2018, the Ministry of Defence announced that all six corvettes would be replaced by new Multi-Role Combat Vessels from 2025 onwards.[11]
Vessels
edit| Name | Pennant number |
Launched | Commissioned |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSS Victory | 88 | 8 June 1988 | 18 August 1990 |
| RSS Valour | 89 | 10 December 1988 | 18 August 1990 |
| RSS Vigilance | 90 | 27 April 1989 | 18 August 1990 |
| RSS Valiant | 91 | 22 July 1989 | 25 May 1991 |
| RSS Vigour | 92 | 1 December 1989 | 25 May 1991 |
| RSS Vengeance | 93 | 23 December 1990 | 25 May 1991 |
References
edit- ^ N, Suresh (7 June 2000). "1988 – RSN's Missile Corvettes". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 7 October 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2004.
- ^ Huxley, Tim (2001). Defending the Lion City. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-118-3.
- ^ "1988 - RSN's Missile Corvettes". Singaporean Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). 4 May 2010 [7 June 2000]. Archived from the original on 7 October 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
- ^ Soong, Martin (2 September 1986). "Republic orders six anti-submarine missile gunboats". Business Times. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ "Victory Class Corvettes". Lürssen. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
- ^ Saunders, Stephen (2007). Jane's Fighting Ships, 2007-2008. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-2799-5.
- ^ "Speech by Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean, at Committee of Supply Debate 2009" (Press release). MINDEF. 19 February 2009 [12 February 2009]. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
- ^ "Minister for Defence Visits Republic of Singapore Navy's Fleet". Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ "Singapore Revamps Its Victory-Class Corvettes". 30 December 2013. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
- ^ "Fact Sheet: The Republic of Singapore Navy's Victory-class Missile Corvette". Singaporean Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). 17 July 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "Janes | Latest defence and security news". Archived from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
External links
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